Hot Time, Summer In The City

In dire need of some new reading material, we packed up the kids and headed into Shinjuku. What I had in mind was the bookstore, a stop at that restuarant with really good fries, Baby Gap and Tower Records. Things don't always turn out quite the way you plan......

We decided to have lunch at home and then hit the road. Sophie was asleep in her carseat and Bailey was singing along with his favorite CD. We arrived at the parking garage for the bookstore, only to find a sign that read 60 minute wait. Instead of waiting, I decided to go ahead and look around the bookstore. I offered to take Bailey with me, but he didn't want to part with Daddy.

So, I left Bailey with his Video Now player and hiked to the bookstore. I was expecting it to be crowded and was relieved to find the magazine rack almost deserted. That was, until I turned the corner and ran smack dab into about five hundred people all trying to get the same thing at the same time. Forgetting their manners, pushing and pulling. Screaming and having temper tantrums. Such is often the case in Japan, though. So polite one on one, but put them in a group and watch out!

I got a few books and magazines and headed for the check out. While paying, I heard a little voice behind and turned around to find Daddy and the kids, looking a little sweaty but mostly unaffected by their journey to secure parking. Sophie was a little grouchy so we decided to head for the restaurant for a snack of french fries and drinks. Milk would not soothe Sophie, though. She just wanted to be held and held and held. Usually I wouldn't mind it, but the heat and the people and the noise and the dang blasted heat made it pretty unbearable for both of us.

After finishing up at the restuarant, we headed across the street to Baby Gap. Sounds easy as pie, right? Wrong! Remember, this is the country that has people at the station whose job it is to push, cram, jam and otherwise contort people unto the trains during peak hours. Long story short, Japan is crowded and I think at least half of the country was trying to cross the street with us. I am holding Sophie, desperately trying not to lose my grip on her sweaty, wriggling little body, pushing the stroller and guiding Bailey along who was holding on to my back pocket. You think people would see this and help a woman out. You know, give us a little elbow room, look up so they don't run into us. Not to be. What felt like a good fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the middle of the crosswalk, only to run into a car. Somebody had stopped their big ole boat of a car right there in the middle. Tried to turn left, tried to turn right. Considered opening the car door and sliding through. Oh, excuse me, was that you face? and then I heard the ping pong ping pong that signaled a don't walk sign. At the sound of it, the crosswalk miraclously cleared and we made it, with no time to spare, to the other side.

By that time, we are ready to call it a day, so we headed back to the parking garage. Sophie was asleep even before we pulled out and after a few rice crackers and juice, Bailey was out too. So, the ride home was nice and the shrimp that we had for dinner was excellent. Not a complet loss, but I am not so sure any of us will be willing to make the journey again any time soon.